


Travelling Sanctuary

by dreamyplus



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Hufflepuff Reader, Prior One Sided Love, Regret
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28034760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamyplus/pseuds/dreamyplus
Summary: In a different time, in a different place, Newt didn't get expelled for Leta, you did. To preserve the happiness of the boy you cared so much for, you were very willing, and if he was happy with someone else you would help. Now, with heavy memories, you travel the world as a Magizoologist, while Newt wonders in regret: why didn't he choose you?
Relationships: Newt Scamander/Reader, Newt Scamander/You
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	1. Of the Promising Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt's got a good anticipatory feeling brewing in his chest and it turns out to be true. You two reunite in the most unlikely of circumstances.

Newt Scamander took his first walk around the streets of New York. He huffed his chest full of its cooling morning air and adjusted his royal blue coat. A peculiar sentiment sprouted in his chest, one of redemption and liberty. Newt was never one for superstitions or divinations, though today, he just had a spectacular feeling; he had a feeling that something interestingly marvelous was going to happen.

"Excuse me..." 

And right at that moment it so seemed. Newt perkily stared at your figure, swimming through the crowds. 

"Please... Um, coming through!"

Your grip tightened on your suitcase as you continued to shimmy, tailing after a small, black chubby creature. With its pilfering paws, it tucked another silver watch away in the pouch on its belly. It gave a grumbly squeak of sorts and scurried, aware that you were catching up.

Your next rushed step caused a bump between you and him, "Oh my—so sorry!" you swiveled past him hastily with your head down. 

"It couldn't be..."

His voice came out like a whisper, immediately losing itself in the bustling noises of the city. Briskly, he traced your path until he made it to a clearing, right outside a grand bank of towering white pillars. 

You stood by the bottom steps, taking a light pant as you hawked over the area. People weaved in and out of its glass doors in the cleanest of attires, though a slumped, sleepy beggar caught your eye. Then, to the black ball, juddering the nearby begging tin for its contents.

Newt narrowed his eyes from a distance as you took a meek, though focused, step away from the gathering, soon to be interrupted. 

"Are you a seeker? A seeker after truth?" The advocate sharply looked in your direction.

Now, you stood in the center of the heeding crowd, looking hopeful that the lady wasn't addressing you. After a quick take around however, you found that she was. You shifted your position before answering.

"Oh no, I... I'm just a visitor." Under her leer, you felt compelled to speak more. "A visitor of the bank, really," you clarified, gravitating forwards. Hushed, you mustered out lastly, "Excuse me now..."

Chasing after you, Newt mimicked your sprint up the steps. He popped his head into the bank. Surveying, he found you on the far side, already behind a bench as you eyed over a seated man of a rounder figure. He ogled at you unsubtly from afar. He had been doubtful before, but now, affirmatively contrary.

It was you.

Newt felt a zap of unusual delight. Your form had matured, yet you still held that exact same aromatic aura of childlike wonder and sweetness to you. Questions begging for answers began to bubble in his head. What were you like these days? How have you been doing? Have you been thinking of him as of late?

His gaze fell, disheartened. How did you feel about him now? 

He received a short jolt as somebody pushed him out of the doorway, "Move it, pal!"

Newt apologised in exchange briefly, "Sorry..." before slowly beginning to pace towards you.

He slowed however as from your pocket you revealed a shiny object of sorts, perhaps a pocket watch. It dangled and swayed, and from the sitting gentlemen's pocket a curious snout snooped out.

Unfortunately sharpish, however, the man then stood abrupt. 

"Mr. Kowalski! Mr. Bingley will see you now." To the beckonings of a beckoner, the man rubbed the back of his head nervously and was routed over to a nearby room. 

You backed away, staring blankly until the door shut behind him. Fretting, you armed your suitcase and positioned yourself by the door.

Newt was quick to join your side not long after. You stiffened awkwardly, and upon his arrival, timidly you began to play with an invisible pebble by your foot. You seemed to be burning up under his gaze as if it were the Sun, magnified tenfold. Newt only stood apprehensively close to you and, at last, cleared his throat before muttering a quick: "Hello."

Startled, you looked up at him. "Newt?"

He was only confident enough to respond with a bashful flicker of a smile and a fast look down at his shoes, before giving a slight nodding bow. "It's good to see you again," He greeted once more.

He felt the atmosphere between the two of you: it was dense and thicker than molasses. Though, you responded only tenderly.

"It's great to see you too. I missed you a lot, Newt."

He bit his bottom lip as he felt himself go into a frozen frenzy. It was that voice of yours—No, it was your smile. Or maybe, the way you spoke his name? Or could it have been everything above, and just how much he realized he missed it all. He had taken you so for granted before.

"I wasn't expecting to see you in New York," you spoke.

He snapped out of thought. "...Me neither, what are you doing here?" Politely and inquisitively, he asked as your head turned away. You guarded the area with your gaze, still on the watch.

"I'm just working on my book."

His ears perked. "About magical creatures?"

Your cheeks turned faintly rosy. "Yeah, we used to talk about it a lot back in Hogwarts," you paused for a moment. "I... I really miss those times."

Newt went abruptly silent and the building's posh ambience took place. You glanced at him worriedly.

"S-So, how are you now?" you continued to peek around, not managing eye contact. "I heard you were in the Ministry," you almost faltered, "together with Leta."

Newt's heart winced in remorse.

"I always hope the best for you two," you added.

The look in his eyes was distant as he hung his gaze down at his shoes, pondering hard. He had to tell now.

"Well, actually me and... uh," his eyes darted briefly at you. "We aren't, um..."

The words he envisioned properly saying, in reality, just rolled off his tongue, tripping over each other sporadically on their way out. Everything was frustratingly tangled, however, under your patiently curious gaze he took a short inhale and continued.

"Leta and I... aren't together anymore," he affirmed, stifling you momentarily.

"I'm sorry to hear." You looked sincere as he palmed the nape of his neck nervously.

"It's alright. It," you two held eye contact shortly. "It was a while ago," his words came out odd, like hiccups, they came and went irregularly. "After a year or so when we... when we left Hogwarts."

"I see..." your voice trailed. "Well, I hope you're doing better now, Newt."

He mustered a small, crooked smile. His name coming from your mouth was oddly cathartic for him.

"So, what have you been doing these days? Traveling the world and seeing all kinds of creatures?" you inquired, so kindly and softly.

He hung his head lowly. "No, not exactly..." On habit, he froze in thought.

He had barely seen any of the world in fact, though he'd ramble on about it in his youth. Newt had only been to two continents thus far: the one he was born in and the one he arrived in much less than a day ago.

Newt had long since conceived that he had succumbed to limitations, the very same limitations that he despised following, however upon having to voice it, the realisation struck his heart like a violent brute's clobber. He thought that she was the one—that Leta was the one. Though he discovered that, in truth, her mystique and alluringly elusive aura was just an empty space he could never fill.

His extended silence worried you, but before you could speak, he asked, "How about you?"

You tilted your head to ponder. "Hm, well, uhm... Yeah, I've been hopping from place to place." 

The latch on your suitcase interruptingly flapped open, snapping Newt's attention to it. Sheepishly, you adjusted it back with a blushing smile. 

You leaned into him to discretely mumble. "My niffler's on the loose, that's why I'm here actually..."

Not a beat after, the aforementioned door swings open, and the gentleman from before exits. You take no time to follow in pursuit until he was well outside the building and out on the streets. 

Newt found himself tagging along, observing with keen interest as you dipped and hung the golden pocket watch from your hand. You appeared especially professional with the niffler emerging from the man's pocket in a swift, on queue, reaction.

It went for the grab and you made no careless mistake when snatching it up. The shuffling alerted the man, Mr. Kowalski, however.

"Hey, what are you—"

You disapparate to a nearby isolated alleyway, frightfully alarmed. Now, in this alleyway scuffle was: you, the niffler, the muggle, and Newt.

The critter tussled around in your hands as Mr. Kowalski only stammered with various remarks of disbelief, 'what' and 'how' particularly.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry," you handed the niffler to Newt momentarily as you kneeled to open your suitcase. "Please hang on for a moment—"

The baked goods inside the case stare back at you and by the time you glanced back up, you only had enough time to see that man's sudden retreat cause Newt to topple sideways.

"Newt!" You attended to Newt first and foremost as if it were a reflex.

The niffler scurried off in the brief chaos, though your eyes rested solely and attentively on Newt. Beside him, on your knees, you leaned close.

"Are you okay?" you worriedly spoke, though he easily sat up.

Breathily, he responded, "Yeah, I'm alright." He assured you with a stiff nod, feeling honestly charmed that you cared for him immediately. 

You two stood back up. "That's a relief," you said.

"I'm so sorry about your niffler." He could do only less than a tiny peek up at you, though he saw your hearty smile.

"Don't worry, it's all part of the job."

In the mentioning of the topic, you did a quick scan around you: only one suitcase remained, the other with the muggle. A bind wrapped your throat and chest.

"Oh dear." The realisation smacked you with panic, Newt only returned with a curious look.

"I-I-I, I need to get that suitcase back." You latched up Mr. Kowalski's suitcase with such an unsettled and perturbed expression that Newt only felt appropriate to hurriedly add, "I'll help."

...

Adorned with a matching grey hat and coat, Tina Goldstein's sudden afternoon rush came from the extremely concerning amount of magical creatures that had erupted from the upper floor of an apartment. A large crowd already flocked to the scene to gawk at the missing half of the building.

She reacted in shallow breaths as the crowd only clamoured with descriptions of beastly and unreal shapes.

"Excuse us..."

Nudged gently to the side, two individuals sped past her and into the building. She followed with a briefly raised brow.

"Hey!" she called from down the steps.

Her voice was sharp and demanding, though turnt panicked as she entered the scene to find the pair: one knelt down and attending to an unconcious man, and the other of a blue coat, handling an unholy sight of a shrieking naked beast.

"You two!"

Like deer in headlights or, perhaps, children caught in trouble, she had your immediate attention. You didn't voice anything until she spoke up once more.

"What are you two doing?" she exasperated.

The naked beast, professionally refered to as a 'murtlap', only continued to wrestle in Newt's grasp as you blinked with much less than a blank mind.

"Um..." you sucked in your lips in assessment, "Doing... doing our best?" You offered the lady a hopeful smile, though she only slumped her shoulders with an irritated sigh.

"Don't tell me you're responsible for letting all those creatures out..."

"Technically, yes but—"

"We are in a situation here in Newt York! MACUSA's having enough trouble with the recent activity anyways!" Her voice was desperate and you only bared guilt on your face.

"I'm sorry," you apologised and lowered your head.

She shook her head in an expression that could've only been described as parental disappointment. "And you've hurt a no-maj, as well!" She treaded over the slight mess to kneel to him. "He's been bitten on the neck!"

"It's alright, murtlap bites aren't serious." Newt affirmed though the savage behaviour of the struggling murtlap in his hand didn't help his point.

She sighed as, tipsily, poor Mr. Kowalski only voiced out pained and confused groans. Tina rose and gave you and Newt a scolding, stern stare.

You bit your lower lip under her unsatisfied gaze. "Well, yeah it's true," you shrugged rigidly. "Murtlap bites aren't serious..."

"At most their effects would only last 48 hours," you tried to calm her. "Until then, we could always just keep him in—"

"Keep him?!" The entire situation was tiringly taxing on Tina. "We don't just 'keep' them! Do you two know anything about the wizarding community in America?"

Your mouth stayed shut in contrary to Newt, "I do know a few things actually."

Tina handed him an inquisitive look as he continued, "I know that you have rather backwards laws about relations with non-magic people; that you're not meant to befriend them, that you can't marry them," he puffed, "...which seems mildly absurd to me."

"Who's gonna want to marry him?"

"I'm sure plenty of people would," you unexpectedly piped.

Though your delivery was daring to stammer, your point was sharp and precise. "Everybody is fantastic," you flickered a glance to Newt, "...sometimes, we just don't have enough time to learn how."

In your eyes, Newt bared a regular reaction though truthfully, his heart did something rather peculiar to your words. It pounded loudly in his chest and he felt nostalgia flow all the way to the tips of his fingers. He felt the blind and unconditional acceptance that you had always given everyone and everything.

In the best of ways, you truly hadn't changed.

Though admist it all, the Auror could only wearily apologise. "I'm sorry but I'm still just going to have to take you two in." From her wallet she displayed her MACUSA affliation.

Your blood ran cold. "No wait please."

She paused writing in her handsized notepad to spare you a hearing.

"Newt doesn't actually have anything to do with the creatures that got loose. We just met a bit ago, he was helping me! But also," your eyes expressed a gaze of terrorised worry, "I'm sure I can get all of those creatures back in no time."

You rushed to open your suitcase, taking the murtlap from Newt then handling it back inside.

"I'm sure MACUSA will handle it just fine—"

"No, please. They're going to use an extermination group, I know it. Please, I-I, I can get them back in no time! I can get them back in two days—in a single night!" Your voice quivered in a desperate plead.

Tina shrunk at your profound sincerity and panic. "I'm sorry, but I need to take you two in," she turned to Newt, "And I'll have to take in the no-maj and Mr..."

"Newt Scamander..."

"Mr Scamander in as well as a witness."

Newt could only stare in woe at your grief-stricken form and as you stood to meet Tina's eyes. You saw her apologetic though firm face and you did no more than stay silent.


	2. Birds of Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's about time Newt gets to see what's truly in that case of yours. And what's in store for him is just so much more than he'd imagine.

Newt felt very little as soon as he stepped into the building. The corridors and workplace of the Magical Congress of the United States of America was certainly nothing to scoff at. Though as it was brimmed with clean formal attires, office desk jobs, meticulous paperwork and that indescribable ventilated air, Newt held an uncomfortable frown.

He didn't miss this environment and, it was clear by the way you hugged your suitcase, you were not fond of such place either. You two had so much in common, he questioned: why did he never catch such magnetic similarities?

After navigating through, finally, Tina had stopped. She brought you two to a private gathering it so seemed. Your posture only creaked stiffly in discomfort as the sound of your footsteps washed up into the room. A glance of yours brushed past one of the attending men. Though you did not hold eye contact for long, just enough to note his inky and gelled back hair and furrowing brows. 

A woman, wearing a curiously ornate headdress and a sleek black gown, was the first to step up to Tina. 

"I thought I made your position here quite clear, Miss Goldstein," she addressed, with a voice so passively acidic Tina shrunk immediately.

"Yes, Madam President but—"

The lady turned formally vexed. "You are no longer an Auror."

You seemed to crook your head at that statement, sliding Tina a sympathetic look.

"Yes, Madam President," Tina tried once more, "But there's—"

"Enough Miss Goldstein. This office is currently discussing very major matters," she spoke looking down her nose at Tina, her voice laced with disrespect.

Tina held in a breath to choke back her defeated expression. "Yes, Madam President."

...

"I'm sorry for dragging you two here," Tina admitted, tossing her coat and hat off.

"It's alright," you comforted quietly.

An awkward silence bloated up in her small office space as Tina slugged down on her chair. She kept her head down, tossing a few papers on the desk with heavy sighs all the way through.

"You have your wand permits, you have your travelling permits. Everything there is alright," she went through rather dolefully. "But I can't just let you go while those creatures are on the loose." Duty and responsibility often settled in Tina. "You said you can get all those creatures back right?" she inquired.

You blinked. "Yes."

"I'll have to keep an eye on you until you do then," she instructed and to that negotiation, you nodded in understanding. "As for you Mr Scamander, you can leave now if you'd like," Tina dismissed.

Habitually, Newt froze. Yes, indeed he could. He didn't need to do so much as to even come along in the first place when he was at the bank. But he wanted to. He really wanted to in fact.

His eyes rested on your figure. "I'd like to help," he muttered, feeling an immediate heat zoom to his ears. "If that's okay—if you need it—if you want my help, I mean." He raised his shoulders in defensive anticipation.

"You'd be wonderful help, Newt," you lightly replied, bringing an essence of butterflies to Newt's stomach. He couldn't help but just flush the rosiest bit of red at your compliment.

"It's getting really late, you two can come over to my place for some food, maybe rest the night if you need to. Ah..! But," Tina knitted her brows in apology. "But no men are allowed, so..."

"No worries then, you can hop in my case in the meantime," you offered, turning to Newt.

Though his words got webbed in his throat, he glowed at the suggestion. His posture rose slightly and at your polite and gentle tone, he couldn't help but feel unnecessarily giddy. You set your suitcase down while he watched intently. You then opened it and gestured for him to enter.

He fiddled and peeked down momentarily, spotting the ladder. When he reached the bottom, he quirked up a toothy grin and gave a stiff thumbs up as if to announce, 'I have made it down safely, so you can close it now.'

Your eyes were soft and your remaining smile stayed warm as you chimed him a short goodbye, "See you in a bit, Newt."

With the hatch now closed, Newt pivoted slightly to find himself enclosed in an odd, unkept sort of room. On the left was a daft little bed space, where laid the sleeping muggle from earlier (who Tina had fickly decided to allow you to 'store' until he was sober again), on the right, were shelves stuffed with bottles on bottles, pots on pots, herbs of all kinds with vials of countless potions. He followed the lineup until he came across a door space.

And as he swept past the drapes, the warmest of glows welcomed him.

You had made all of this?

He gawked and gaped, smiled and perked, even almost bumped into a stool or two. It was an unreal abode and Newt, himself, could not relish the feeling into words.

Creatures of all kinds just tucked away behind each curtain. From the common knarls and gnomes in the gardens to the thunderbird that he just managed to glimpse as it soared by. Section after section; world after world; he ventured. Newt could goggle for days at all the magnificence in your suitcase. Settling his excitement, at last, he decided to explore the idling shack by the heart of the enclosure.

He prodded inside discovering a sparse room space. Newt was so caught up, he hadn't even thought once that he was intruding himself into your private stay. It was cluttered with charms, bottles, books, parchment and quills featured in all stages of old and new. From this, however, his eyes unearthed an interestingly framed photo on your desk.

It was in excellent condition, he noticed, and he tugged it upwards to get a better view. It was a picture of himself? In the frame, he was garbed in a fanciful suit on the night of your 6th year Yule Ball. He had gone with Leta that night, although, it should have been you. Newt abruptly sunk in his usual penitence. It should've been a night for him to spend with the person who had always, without fail, been there for him.

Newt set the portrait back. Not to mention, he had never once confronted himself about the pained look in your eyes when he asked you to take those photos of him and Leta. You had complied, you had even gone to the Yule Ball in the first place because he selfishly requested for a 'wingman'.

'What a fool,' he moped to himself.

Such a fool, in fact, he completely missed the question of why you kept a photograph of him in your personal chambers, to begin with.

He averted elsewhere nonetheless.

'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,' he read silently.

A small tickle of a smile erupted from his lips at such nostalgia. Delicately, Newt lifted the book into his hands. You had kept his suggestion after all this time...

He handled through each page like thin ceramic. Observations, theories, experiments, drawings (he chuckled especially at your doodle of a gnome). He dreamily studied each word you wrote. Not long after, bookmarked and wedged between the pages, he found a ripped corner of parchment.

It was dry to the touch and held a sallow crumpled form. A pain nestled in his chest. He knew exactly what it was but why did you even bother to keep it?

It was just a silly piece of paper, scribbled with a silly dancing bowtruckle that he only used to try to cheer up Leta with. All she did with it was dismiss it with a wave of her hand but when he tossed it over to you secondhandedly for the same reason, you giggled and smiled so brightly—even thanked and gifted him with a new pot of much-needed ink the next day.

You really were always the loveliest of people; content and grateful with just the little things in life.

If only he had just said yes to you on that day—

"Newt?"

Startled, he hopped on the spot and scrambled the parchment and notebook back on your desk. You didn't seem to question his movement, you simply held a delighted smile on your face.

"I was looking for you," you gleamed. "It's feeding time for the beasts, want to join?"

"Of course," Newt choked out, now feeling shyly elated.

He accompanied you as you went to a nearby shack to grab a few buckets.

"Here." You handed a set of two to Newt, who grappled its handles with excited inquisition. "The hippogriffs are this way," you guided. "Brushwing gets hungry around now. He's still growing up after all."

You took the lead, missing the certain, frozen wide-eyed stare Newt always did when he was in thought. What was this looming feeling crashing over him?

Skidding in a bit of a hurry he lumbered, buckets in hand, to catch up with you. You held the drapes to make a clear entrance for Newt. He stepped into the grove and after that, it didn't take long at all before Brushwing was well fed and Newt was beside him comfortably.

"Where are his parents?" Newt pondered aloud, as he rested a consoling hand on the growing hippogriff.

"Hunted down, but," you rejoiced with a small smile. "Brushwing's a strong hippogriff, and he's been doing great so far. I know he'll be alright."

A short silence fell before you softly suggested, "We should continue."

Further past the thick greenwood, you two reached a comfy sized glade but before Newt stepped any further, you set your buckets down and displayed a small vial. You gestured to his collar, "May I?"

He approved in a rigid tilt of a nod. He watched earnestly as you patted some of the mixture on his lapel. The scent wafted with the help of a passing breeze and Newt simply imagined that it must've been a scented concoction of pure delight. It smelled remarkably sweet and fresh.

"It smells nice," he commented, innocently smiling. "What is it?"

"Oh, it's..." you faltered sheepishly. "It's a potion of my own scent..."

Newt's stomach knotted and his freckled face beamed red. Though luckily for him, you quickly moved on.

"It's for Greywood, you see. He's blind and it's just taken me this long for him to get used to me."

A four-legged form shadowed by the trees.

"Greywood's a griffin..?" Newt mumbled in equal parts question and amazement.

Newt observed the beast as it emerged from behind the pine and into the sun. A large, nasty scar rested over his eyes. Immediately, however, it trotted merrily towards you and Newt.

The two of you fed Greywood together and during so, Newt had found to understand the bothersome looming sentiment. He was having fun! Having a blast, to put it fashionably. It was as simple as it was complex.

It was just plain fun to be with you.

Spending time with you was the enjoyment that he had long since forgotten. Up in that little tower space, in that cramped corner in the library, by that absurdly huge rock in the Forbidden Forest where the Sun hit just right on some days; memories in every crack and crevice. An unrivalled warmth of contentment embraced Newt.

"I missed this," he suddenly croaked out.

Your usual endearing smile rose. "Me too."

...

Dinner had soon arrived announced by Tina. She poked her head through the hatchway to find you and Newt attending to Mr Kowalski—or rather Jacob, as he warmly invited you two to call.

He was in fine condition now, befuddled at first but soon to be laughing with great glee over the dinner table across Queenie Goldstein; Tina's peculiar case of a sister. A Legilimens, she had pointed earlier, though she was much too occupied with Jacob regardless. They fawned over each other, with forks and spoons in hands, effortlessly.

The dining table actually only accommodated four (Tina had forgotten Jacob originally), and neither you nor Newt took a seat. You firstly excused yourself and slipped back into the case.

Newt performed a weird hum and bit his lower lip. The awkwardness was lethal, however, he clutched the plate of food, with the allowing nod from Tina, and creaked down the rungs to find you.

You stood in plain sight, handling a small odd dangly lump in your hand. You then gave it an appreciative smile and concealed it away in your garb. You fiddled a bit more with some vials and pots, scribbling on some parchment after as well. You blended right into this sort of organic environment, so soothingly so he almost forgot to speak.

"I brought you the food," Newt wasn't sure how he wanted to say it, but it certainly wasn't the way he ended up saying it.

"Did you already eat?" you asked, with an air of gentle surprise and worry.

"No, not yet," he answered.

"Well, then we can share it then," you suggested modestly.

Out from the drawers, you pulled out some wooden cutlery, then you plucked up a spare pot from a stack of plenty and cast it into a meal, with even the little rosemary on Newt's dish to match.

A homely ambience snuggled itself in as you two ate together.


End file.
